What is the CVA?

UK top 20 accountancy firm Kingston Smith is offering charities the chance to win a short animated film specifically created to promote their message – completely free of charge. The production of the film is worth an estimated £150,000, and will be suitable for any medium, including social media, online and TV.

The film will be created by students and recent graduates of animation and VFX, who represent the exceptional rising talent of the industry across the UK, under the guidance of renowned industry professionals, as part of Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth’s BFX Competition.

Process of CVA & How to Apply

Applying for the CVA is easy! Just answer the simple questions in our application form and email this to creativevision@ks.co.uk. There’s an information sheet which takes you through the whole process of the Kingston Smith Creative Vision Award, include key tips to help your charity submit their strongest possible application.

Are you a small charity?

We have a specific category for charities with an annual income of less than £1 million. Your applications will be judged only against other charities in this category to ensure that small charities have the fairest chance to win the ultimate prize. The application process is the same but please ensure that you tick the ‘Small Charities category’ option within the application form.

History of CVA

As trusted business advisers to the media, education and charities sectors, we wanted to give something back to the sectors in which we work – much further than audit, accountancy and tax.

Having supported Aardman’s short film commemorating World War 1, ‘The Flight of the Stories’ (winner of an Annie award) in 2015 commissioned by the Imperial War Museum, we realised there was an opportunity to bring charity and film together.

The explosion of digital marketing within the charities sector, encouraged by high profile viral campaigns such as Cancer Research’s ‘No make up selfie’ and the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Association’s ‘Ice bucket challenge’, has opened the door for charities to review how they engage with their target audiences.

The competition consists of a 7 week residential for students and recent graduates of animation and VFX. Applicants come from across the UK. They endure a rigorous application process before being accepted into the competition. The chosen participants are mentored by industry professionals; MPC, Double Negative and Framestore to name a few.

The end product is 8 high quality films, all of which the charities get to keep. The winning charity(ies) are involved in all major steps throughout the process to ensure the final outcomes meet their needs and expectations.

Testimonials

Anthony Nolan

“We thank Kingston Smith for a wonderful life-changing partnership.

The calibre of talent within teams is remarkable and to see those talents used to support causes like Anthony Nolan and Dyslexia Action is very powerful. Our two great animations will genuinely help us to break down barriers with our target audience and save more lives of people with blood cancers and blood disorders.”

Dyslexia Action

“These films mean so much to everyone here at Dyslexia Action… being part of this fantastic project has been a wonderful experience “

Create

“The application process was uncomplicated with straightforward questions that offered us the opportunity to talk about Create’s aims, beliefs and future plans in a truly creative way. The communication and planning from Kingston Smith were exceptional, involving us in every stage of the process, which resulted in a winning film that perfectly reflects the charity’s ethos and ambition.”